Smelting Silver Ore & Refining

Smelting a sample of silver ore from a customer visit. This ore has a high amount of galena, which is a lead sulfide and commonly carries high grades of silver. In this demonstration Jason smelts down and cupels the sample to recover the lead and refines silver.
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[@jpsfish5966]

“Oh that’s small” 😂 that’s the most emotion I have ever heard out of you. That was unintentionally hilarious. I am still dying.

[@derkaderka5910]

Mesmerizing shot of the glass forming!

[@UncleBildo]

One of these days I'm gonna hop over the Cascades and follow you around with a camera for a day! You get to play with the coolest toys! Completely fascinated by the whole process of mining, from geology to the refinement. The more you learn, the more you understand how badass our ancestors actually were! Keep up the good work.

[@rickdees251]

Oh boy! That would be great, eh? Maybe he can sell you a shaker table? I'm sure he cant wait. Just kidding. The videos are fun to watch though. Best wishes

[@UncleBildo]

@@rickdees251 if I ever follow thru with any of my pipe dreams, might need one of those ton per hr ones! Good way to putz around in retirement.

[@azinfidel6461]

@mbmmllc, really appreciate you making these videos and explaining details of the various processes you use. I have numerous older books explaining these things but seeing it on video with your detailed explanations really helps.👍👍👍👍

[@StirlingLighthouse]

Thank you Jason 👍 It's great watching you do these videos.

[@johnarchuleta9893]

Jason your the man! Thanks for your informative and entertaining videos.

[@mbmmllc]

Thanks John!

[@lonjohnson5161]

I really appreciated the value calculation at the end.

[@allon33]

You man, we are in a new age, and now you lead us. Hail " mbmmllc " we know you are Worthy!!!

[@KowboyUSA]

Watching the flux cool never gets old.

[@grimfpv292]

It's like looking at the Sun without going blind

[@KowboyUSA]

@@grimfpv292 So true

[@robertbowers9856]

My Grandfather was self educated chemist and mining was a paying hobby for him when he was not operating a plumbing business. He held a federal assayer's liscense and his sons helped him in that endevor but did not pass along their knowledge and I probably didn't concern myself until it was to late. So, I enjoyed your video which satisfied my curiosity about what they did.

[@StratRider]

I really love that you did all of the calculations and found the value of the lead vs. the silver. It would be interesting to know the costs involved in extraction of these if one was to pursue it. I've never looked into lead or silver mining.

[@dewardtaylor4192]

Great video good luck on your logging adventure Jason

[@garydunn315]

Good flow of vids coming through

[@mr.iforgot3062]

This guy is pretty sharp. Definitely a sharper tool in the shed.

[@timsch85]

Been waiting for you do to a silver video. This was great

[@ProspectorTripp]

Good process and analysis Jason ✌️PT

[@bigguix]

that crystallization shot is so cool !

[@damiensmith8142]

Great videos! I'm looking at trying to set up here in England. Thanks for explaining these processes very precise.

[@nickb5410]

Great job Jason! It would be very interesting to see the customer's assay results and compare those with your findings.

[@danielmcgrath7519]

Great episode mate, thanks

[@larryhaynes7298]

The slag cooling. SO SATISFYING

[@TrevsOutbackandGoldAdventures]

Great video as always ,Jason. ...Viewer feedback!! Keep the videos coming.You're number one on my subscribed list.

[@silverlover5817]

Thanks for the video, very informative.

[@americanrebel413]

Thanks Jason this was cool.

[@theoutdoorslifetv3200]

Really like your cone molds

[@chet2201]

Thanks for the Honesty of Smelt. I worked in assay lab years ago and Promoters always wanted to bend rules.

[@gingerdude94]

You've the best job👍

[@corners3755]

17:13 "Oh that's pretty small" 😆

[@corollaae8645]

So much good info! Thx!

[@BILBO1]

Thank you!

[@hunter8725]

Very fascinating Jason lets see more gold ore from the new face you started a while ago

[@djpitr]

Very nice , I got to try it.

[@daz41262010]

just checking a few of the older videos out Jason :)

[@MatDuJardin]

very interesting video!

[@Ed_in_Md]

Watching that cool is mesmerizing.

[@tawnihaynie1065]

Good morning Jason. Have a great day and stay safe. Ttyl my friend. ☺☺☺😇😇😇

[@edman3d593]

this was amazing

[@corners3755]

9:40 Looks exactly like the surface of the sun!

[@coreyhoward8950]

Love watching your smelting videos. How much does 1 of those cupels cost? The 1 you used.

[@garydunn315]

Awesome!

[@bosshart4178]

Would it help the metal to vibrate the mold?

[@santiagoamaca208]

Gd day sir thank you for your amazing video can you teach me process because I have stone sample her like your stone sample and I have no idea

[@ja5onl6]

I know of an abandoned mine that sampled at 50oz/ton and 120oz/ton lead. How would you scare up the smelting process for a bigger operation? Lucky Friday sends their stuff to Canada.

[@dn2817]

I live in Edmonds, Wa and want to just come up there for a week as Jason’s apprentice and pulverize rocks and bake things at 2000F.

[@ArcturusArcher]

9:36 looks like the convection layer of the sun... Cool

[@richardbeee]

I didn't see or it wasn't shown, but did your bead sprout? If not you may have something running with it. Also more silica would have made that stoney glass shatter off of the prill. We would often use assayed black sands for our iron inquart. There's a figure you use to figure out exactly how much iron to add to reduce. That would also take some of that stoney out. Add more silica and a little borax, less soda. No matter, great video!

[@MortRotu]

If you want more surface area for reaction with the iron you need to use smaller diameter bits, larger diameter gives you more volume of iron.

[@shughes731]

Appreciate the math equations Jason. Thanks! Could I ask if I am doing mine right? In a 50 gram sample, 0.152 ppm > 0.152 g/ton x 20000 = 3040 g/ton. Assuming 2% of material is cons, 3040 x 0.02 = 60.8 g/ton. So if the material is closer to 50 + % cons I should be doing a happy dance? Starting my wish list.

[@damianmorgan8455]

Hay m8 just wondering if you can put galena ore in a fire to make it easier to crush up .

[@krakhedd]

The smelt freezing --> wow, that sure is purdy

[@andie_pants]

I'd love to see you and Dan Hurd collaborate.

[@Gods_chosen_son]

You are great! I made a cone mold and when I pour it never turns out like yours I never see the black lines as it cools. And can you show the ore this can from? And how long do you keep it in the furnace?

[@3vilJOHN]

The same thing happened to me. He lives in in the southern united states and the atmospheric pressure is different. Every one of his formulas was created by him through trial and error. I live high in the sky at 10,000 feet. All my research shows they never smelted his type of ore found here in my area and was sent to a different sea level location for processing such as new York where these chemistries can work. But that doesn't change the fact that there are chemistries that work at higher elevations. In most of my trials being novice to find the formulas. I found I was getting many times competing reaction from other atoms present in the ore. By process of elemination I'm finding those once ignored gang minerals to do a balanced chemistry. You should read "chemistry of gold extraction" book, very important before accidentally wasting chemicals. You must understand stoichiometry also. Because chemical reactions to obtain metal happen both under heat and pressure and in liquid chemical solutions. Termed pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. Gold is a stable cyanide complex that is non reactive. Gold in solution is a cyanide complex that is extremely reactive. Silver is a chlorine complex that is non reactive as a metal, and in solution is extremely reactive. Both are salts, both are obtained by deferring competing reactions so as not to lose the complex due to competing reactions.

[@orsud1890]

Excellente fonte

[@ronaldharvey4629]

would roasting the sample change anything?

[@santiagoamaca208]

I have more sample sir but I don't know where I can buy,like that small cup or how do cal that thing

[@DavidSmith-zr3nd]

Wow, at the definition on the table.

[@diggindiggenit6540]

I think it would be interesting to take two samples same size one do as you would with one and the other blend it in a coffee grinder and see if there is any difference in the end, all material from the same batch.

[@tahaaliakbarkhani9647]

Hi Professor, I found some silver sulfide inside the stone, how can I turn silver sulfide into a metal, if you can guide me completely, I will be grateful

[@BILBO1]

How much was the cupel? Can the cupel be reused? Or is it a one time usage? How much other than the large equipment, kiln and gear did it cost to process?(ballpark, electricity and gas). This whole thing is fascinating. I’ve got 10 and 12 year old boys. How much ore are they going to need to haul for me to afford a mill?

[@tahaaliakbarkhani9647]

What should I mix a kilo of rock containing silver sulfide with and put it in the furnace? Can I melt silver sulfide and turn it into metal with only borax

[@Jkauppa]

have you tried to dissolve ores (sand, metals) to sulfuric acid, regenerage your sulfuric acid from the sulfur oxide in solution, I recommend the Na2O2 to H2O2 route

[@TheMrdoc26]

What about the ore the people took back? Was it profitable?

[@GrooberNedJardine]

Well Jason you could have saved the guy the trouble of Assaying his ore , it looked like it wasn't really viable for him to proceed with . thanks for showing us the process , cheers , Ned .

[@SuperMortiki]

I like it

[@vahagnmelikyan2906]

How do you tell the difference between silver and lead cupel

[@TedJenkins-cm4ry]

Would you process some ore for me on a 50/50 split?

[@svenp6504]

9:13 Is that lead oxide coming off or maybe zinc oxide...?

[@howarddavis2193]

During the cupelling process you can end up with a mix of Gold and Silver is there a way to seperate them without losing one or the other ?

[@user-lb8do4ew6k]

Not in the cuppel process, but ag & au can be separated chemically or with electrorefining

[@kurtbogle2973]

Your crucible looks like a coffee cup. Where do you get those. Are they good for steel? I make blades.

[@ryanismyname7526]

I've had pretty good results using oxy/ acetylene torch to drive off the lead

[@Alondro77]

Does anyone happen to know what those ferrous electromagnets (the ones with the large spools of copper wire) of various sizes and shapes found on circuit boards are composed of (aside from iron, obviously!). I saw one little blurb that some of them are 40% silver by mass. If that's true, is there an easy way to tell which ones have this composition?

[@MrShekoexile]

It's called ferrite

[@JustChiminin]

Who else likes to watch the cone mold cool?

[@nathandean1687]

use a magnet tuned to the electromagnetic properties of lead and silver. ud have a have a higher turn around.

[@kevintimson6591]

Is there any way to save the lead and extract the silver? Just seems like a shame to evaporate the lead when its price isn't too bad these days.

[@user-lb8do4ew6k]

Sulfuric acid

[@nathanredmond8701]

COULD SOME1 PLEASE TIME ME WHAT THE '' PORTLAND CEMENT'' IS PLEASE I CANT FIND IT IN THE UK ????

[@MakingUsThink]

What always confuses me is where do the oxidized metals disappear to?

[@5roundsrapid263]

They soak into the cupel. That’s why it’s so dark.

[@5roundsrapid263]

I figured the lead would be worth more than the silver. I’ve made a lot of money on scrap lead over the years. It helped pay for precious metals.

[@TedJenkins-cm4ry]

Where are you located?

[@danielscarbrough3432]

Ok so the lead oxide creating a gas of sulfur dioxide ? Or something as to.that.effect.? The oxygen mask all Hooked in yeah

[@boblemon8337]

people dont realize that the cupel is made larger on the bottom to hold the heat . after it blinks you can shut the heat down and open up your furnace to get plenty of oxygen in. then it starts smoking g and retains the.lead.

[@lincolnstovall9471]

Magnetite ?

[@mirekmarshall6113]

Any way to extract the materials from the cupel.

[@xenaguy01]

He made a video showing the recovery of lead from cupels.

[@davidmaisel8062]

You could but it isn't worth the cost, the example he showed was +/- 35g of lead.

[@3vilJOHN]

The same thing happened to me. He lives in in the southern united states and the atmospheric pressure is different. Every one of his formulas was created by him through trial and error. I live high in the sky at 10,000 feet. All my research shows they never smelted his type of ore found here in my area and was sent to a different sea level location for processing such as new York where these chemistries can work. But that doesn't change the fact that there are chemistries that work at higher elevations. In most of my trials being novice to find the formulas. I found I was getting many times competing reaction from other atoms present in the ore. By process of elemination I'm finding those once ignored gang minerals to do a balanced chemistry. You should read "chemistry of gold extraction" book, very important before accidentally wasting chemicals. You must understand stoichiometry also. Because chemical reactions to obtain metal happen both under heat and pressure and in liquid chemical solutions. Termed pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. Gold is a stable cyanide complex that is non reactive. Gold in solution is a cyanide complex that is extremely reactive. Silver is a chlorine complex that is non reactive as a metal, and in solution is extremely reactive. Both are salts, both are obtained by deferring competing reactions so as not to lose the complex due to competing reactions.

[@rockhunter6260]

👍🏻

[@Abo-ahmedd]

👍

[@boblemon8337]

usually after turning g iff your furnace it'll take about 10 minutes

[@GeoffBosco]

You talk really loud even when machinery isn’t running in the background. Do you get your hearing checked out often?

[@tonyoliver4920]

Coat your furnace in refractory cement. It will contain the fibres and you won’t require a respirator

[@BillMulholland1]

🍻👍

[@jlemieu1]

No worries processing lead ores without masks?

[@xenaguy01]

You can tell from the muffled narration during the cupellation, he was wearing a respirator. During the earlier processing, the pre is wet, keeping dust minimal.

[@haroldishoy2113]

Sorry Jason but you have to break the news to The lone Ranger that he will have to go back to shootin’ lead bullets, silver is for fishing weights now.

[@xxxm981]

Sometimes i wonder if i should try and setup a goldmining business in the Phillipines..... i mean, its a nonchemical way you got there. But i guess if the big guys don´t go there, its because you have to pay more bribes than its worth

[@kurtbogle2973]

What about all of that slag that wasn't properly smelted. Can he resmelt that for a profit? It's seems to me that he said there was millions of dollars of silver in that. Or was that wishful thinking? .Brad, is a interesting person in that he grabbed the ghost town dream and ran with it..I would really like to see him do well. Who knows? All of that silver could be a prelude to the gold , or not. I wish him well.

[@nepriandries]

Nice Thank for sharing friend👍🇮🇩🇮🇩🔔🔔⚒⚒☕️👣👣

[@emmanuelstamatakis8218]

Hey that was great video I was wondering if I could send you this little pebble just to take a look at it it’s very light it won’t cost much to send it anywhere in the world do you have a PO Box or something like that that I could send it to a mailing address or ever please send me a message or a response to this how I can send you this littlePebble really would appreciate it cause I’m stuck down here in an island South of Greece Crete And I have subscribed and liked long time now I’ve been following you So this stuff is worth anything I can probably set up that mining table you have and crushing stuff and I will be a little side business thanks again

[@maxblay6833]

Couple things I've learned from watching on KZbin about silver you can use Hydrochloric acid or vinegar to extract silver from The Rock I forgot what the name of the rock is called you can dissolve it and get pure silver having a brain fart I forgot the name of the rock that it is usually found in. I realized the cone that you use is actually a cone it's not a true pyramid cuz a true pyramid has eight sides to it so it's a square cone

[@BigTuna74]

Get a weedeater and get all that shit cleared out around your machine, all those tall weeds can’t see the dam Machine.

[@6Diego1Diego9]

it's nothing. it's always nothing.

[@amirshehzad5582]

I can recover easy

[@mchughcb]

$27 per oz